[Pins…and Needles]

It’s officially winter here in Hastings, Nebraska. Not that it wasn’t winter before, despite the first day of “winter” being December 21. It’s been cold (between 5 and -2 degrees) the last few weeks, but last night was our first heavy snow.

Coincidentally, it was also the one night I haven’t spent at home. I worked an 11-hour shift at the library for the all-nighter event we host every semester. It takes place the Saturday before finals, and there are snacks, games, and movies provided on the first floor (the loud floor). Upstairs, if you need peace and quiet, is silent. But there are plenty of study spaces downstairs as well.

Courtesy of Billie Cotterman

I was working, yes, but our library director also understood that few people would need our assistance beyond the occasional checkout and replenishing of snacks. So we were allowed to play a game of Pitch while remaining within eyesight of the front counter. (He played with us, so it’s totally okay.)

Courtesy of Billie Cotterman

We had lots of people chilling in our coffee corner, watching movies and playing chess. The all-nighter is a study opportunity, but it’s also meant for destressing and relaxing a little before taking tests.

Courtesy of Billie Cotterman

See a familiar face? Kaitlyn Baucom and Sarah Mindrup camped out upstairs in order to face their studies head-on. They took a moment to express their joy for the library, though.

Back to the winter, however. Once I left the library, I had to scrape snow off of my car (yes, I drove–it was -2 degrees out and I wasn’t going to walk home when I left at what I thought would be 6 a.m.). That wasn’t so bad. Tonight, however, when I needed to go shopping, my car decided that it didn’t want to open the doors.

Ten minutes, one jug of warm water, one ice scraper, and two hip-checks later, it gave up and opened. Car-0, Kit-1. Score. The roads weren’t icy (yet), but I still drove well under the speed limit. No sense in trying to go fast when I still have pins and needles in my extremities. And it’s not like I had a deadline. Unless you count finals, which are the next two days. Best be getting back to work.